This can be a very exciting time for you, but can be an unsettling time for your kitten. Make sure you allow time to settle your kitten in to their new surroundings, and try to keep things fairly quiet and relaxed while they find their feet.

● Show your kitten where they will eat and drink, and offer a small meal and fresh drinking water.
● Make sure to show your kitten where the litter tray is. Place the kitten in the litter tray and scratch their front paws gently in the litter (your kitten is fully litter trained and will want to be clean in your home too!).
● Clean the litter tray daily, as cats will often find an alternative place if they consider the tray to be too dirty.
● Try not to site the litter tray and the food bowls too closely, cats are very fussy with their hygiene and this could result in your kitten not eating at all.
● It is a good idea to have a bed ready for your kitten. A cardboard box with a blanket is a cheap solution, or a suitable pet bed.

Your kitten will want to have a look around her new home, and will probably meow as she investigates. If you have other pets, it is advisable to introduce them to the newcomer under supervision, and don't expect them to be best of friends straight away - give them time.
If there are squabbles between the new kitten and your existing pets, a good solution is to ignore bad behaviour and praise any good behaviour from all of them. This will allow them all to not feel pressured for their behaviour while they get used to one another.

Cats are very lively, social animals, and can become quite unhappy if deprived of company for extended periods of time. If you are out at work all day and have no other pets, you could consider getting another kitten as they would both be much happier, and would each have a playmate while you are out.

Your kitten will need to sharpen her claws somewhere, so it is advisable to have a scratching post in the house if you value your furniture!! This need not be expensive; a hessian-backed scrap of carpet fixed to a piece of planed wood is a cheap and easy solution.

Your kitten is a shorthaired breed, and does not really require regular grooming. But most cats enjoy regular grooming with a suitable cat brush, and it is a nice way for you both to enjoy spending time together.

Safety in the home extends to your kitten as well. Kittens can squeeze into tiny spaces and because they are so inquisitive, often end up in trouble! Here are a few pointers:

● Keep toilet lids down, check the dishwasher, tumble dryer and washing machines before starting a cycle.
● Many household products are poisonous to cats, these include Dettol, TCP, antifreeze, wallpaper paste, aspirin and chocolate to name but a few.
● A simple way to check if a cleaning product is harmful to cats is to add it to water; if it turns the water cloudy then it is not safe.
● A lot of common household plants can also be poisonous. *
● REMEMBER: Curiosity killed the cat.

* Click here for more information on toxic plants and products

Your new kitten will have been brought up as one of our family, and will be sadly missed. If you need any help or advice please don't hesitate to contact us. We will always be pleased to hear from you about how they are getting on as they grow up. We hope that you will get a lifetime of pleasure from your little bundle of joy, and look forward to hearing from you from time to time.